Windup Toys

 NR has very few toys to play with and most of them  gifted by friends. He is very fascinated with our hands, legs and face. CB and I constantly entertain him with our hand’s mimicking various animals, objects along with sounds. CB shows all kinds of silly faces. NR gives non stop giggles when we entertain him with our face and hands.

We want him to grow up feeling happy just like us being grateful for  simple things/blessings  in his life. As a couple we enjoy simple moments in our life than a lavish lunch/dinner at an expensive restaurant or expensive gifts . Simple things in our life make us happier like a stroll in the park during the weekday or spending some quiet time at home with each other. This was the reason we fell in love with each other 17 years ago .  We shared the same values, beliefs and philosophy in life though  we are from a different religious background. Life in US or success in our career haven't changed us a bit. CB and I  are two simple people leading simple life with no drama.

NR has started playing with toys and I was planning to get him some age appropriate toys like this, this, this  and this. I want to avoid buying big chunky plastic toys as much possible. I am going to try my best to keep this resolution.

Past Sunday, I was running an errand and I parked my car in front of a toy store. I ha n't visited this toy store since NR’s birth. I went inside and searched for the toys to buy for NR. Then I saw a 5-year-old girl trying out all sorts of windup toys on the floor and it brought back my childhood memories. I am not an  impulsive buyer but ended up buying lot of windup toys for NR.

I had a favorite tin windup toy – a skating monkey which skates and somersaults. This is was in mid seventies and having such a toy was big luxury at that time in small town like mine which never had a toy store. I don’t think even now my hometown has a decent toy store . Anyways, coming back to skating monkey toy, this was the popular toy when kids of my age or less/more visited our home. I shared all my toys with visiting play mates but I used to have few unlikable adamant visitors .They were the adamant  kids who want to take the toys with them to their home . They did everything in their power to get what they wanted. My dad always made me to give the toys . At that time I felt he was a villain like Nambiar. But the skating monkey always came back to me thanks to their parents. Later on when I heard if those kids were visiting us again, I  cleverly hid my toys. I never had guts to stand up against bullies neither then  nor now.

Feeding solid foods to NR is a big task by itself which takes me at least 45 minutes. I have to get all the tricks under my sleeve to make him open his mouth. I used these windup-toys on his high chair and it was an instant hit. He opened his mouth wide with his giggles and ate his food faster .One drawback was, he spat out more food than usual due to thunderous laughs.